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Marin Teen Girl Conference 2017

EARLY REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE, PLEASE COME AT 9:00AM TO REGISTER.

This exciting and unique conference provides a safe place for Marin’s teenage girls to find the support they need to lead the lives they want. Workshops are designed by teen ambassadors, and presented by professional women. The Conference has a Teen Exhibit Mall, featuring booths with information and resources from local service organizations.

The ultimate goal of the Marin Teen Girl Conference is to help create solutions for improving the lives of teen girls in Marin County. This conference gives the girls the tools, resources, ideas and support to empower the young women of our county. A group of 30 Teen Girl Ambassadors guide the development of the conference topics and format, making it the only conference BY girls, FOR girls. The conference empowers and inspires these girls to leadership in their own lives and in their communities.

An amazing day packed with speakers, empowering workshops, music and entertainment for Marin County girls in grades 8-12. The Marin Teen Girl Conference connects young women throughout the county in an uplifting, supportive way. You will soar with new friendships and ideas when you attend. Includes: Breakfast, Lunch and a Goody Bag!

Workshop Descriptions

During registration, you will select ONE workshop for EACH session.

Session I

FULL A. The Body Positive: How to Cultivate a Positive Body Image & Practice Excellent Self CarePresented by Naomi Finklestein of The Body PositiveIn this workshop, girls will examine their beliefs about health, self-care, and beauty and learn new tools to help them approach all three with a positive, sustainable, and holistic approach. Goals are to challenge the concept of what a healthy person looks like, begin to view yourself as the expert of your own body, and expand your definition of beauty to include yourself.

FULL B. Owning Your Power: Know Your Value, Earn Respect and Excel in Your Career!Are you fired up to get out into the world and begin to contribute in a meaningful way? What does it mean to be a woman in today’s workplace? Do you imagine that working will be one of the most fulfilling and fun things you will ever do? Do you know how to prepare yourself for it? Come join me as I share my thoughts on all of the above on how you can prepare to take on the world.

C. Sexuality - Beyond the RainbowSexual orientation, gender, biology, and expression – though these areas of a person’s life may influence each other, they are still distinctly different and dynamic – making each person have their own unique sexual identity. Come explore these concepts in a fun and interactive way. We’ll be thinking about ourselves, hearing from our peers and understanding allyship.

D. What’s High School Really Like?If you’re an eighth grader stressing about high school, this workshop is for you! What do you need to know? Should you be worried? A panel of local High School girls will share their experiences transitioning from middle school to high school and help you navigate this next step with confidence!

E. You Need Money, Honey!Align your values with your ideas about money while learning essential tips and tricks to manage your finances. Understand the critical difference between wants and needs and what it means to take the “long view” on money management.

F. Mental Health CPR: Understanding Depression, Anxiety and Suicide PreventionWhether you want to know more about your own mental health or are worried about a friend, this workshop will help you clarify the difference between a temporary “down” feeling, and something more serious. We’ll explore causes and triggers, and learn more about suicide prevention and awareness.

Session II

Turning Your Design Ideas into a Business: Lessons Learned from Teen Fashion DesignersPresented by Marian Kwon and Monika Rose of Epic SkyThe founders of Epic Sky will share the stories of real teen apparel and accessories designers – what inspired them, and how they got started. In this workshop, budding entrepreneurs can learn from the lessons of teen designers who have their own business – in jewelry, swimwear and sportswear. The interactive workshop will help girls think about the process of developing a product – taking an idea, producing a product and bringing it to market.

B. Are You Ready for College?Presented by a panel of College Students from Marin County, and a 10,000 Degrees mentor. Moderated by Laurie Favaro, independent college counselorSATs, AP classes, and application essays are all on your radar. What about those other factors that can help you prepare for getting to college? What kind of higher education is right for you? Should you start at a community college or go right to a four year university? What if your GPA isn’t that great? Are you emotionally ready for the realities of college life? Can You Handle the Workload? Are you the first in your family to go to college? What kind of college will be the right fit – will I know? Is it hard being away from home? Our panel of college “experts” – former Marin high schoolers currently at colleges near and far – a mentor from 10, 000 Degrees, and an independent college counselor will answer your questions and advise you on how to be prepared for life after high school! Plus special bonus info from Marin Teen Girl Ambassador alumnae who want to share their experiences with you!

C. Foster Relationships that Foster You Too!Whether it’s with friends, family, teachers or a boss, relationships are not always easy. In this workshop, we will focus on the disconnect between feeling like a “strong young woman” in some ways and then losing that feeling when it comes to advocating for yourself in both friendships and other relationships. We will introduce the idea of “The Set Up” and how young women are set up to define themselves, communicate, and behave in ways that do not serve them when it matters most. Participants will leave this workshop not feeling “talked at” but rather invited to show up in a different way in their lives after engaging with these ideas. Come ready to be heard, not lectured to!

FULL D. Dealing with Other’s Expectations – How to Navigate the PressureDo you feel like you are letting people down? Are you trying to be perfect? Do you feel guilty or are you scared that you aren’t making other people happy? These might be the results of what other’s expectations have on your life – your teachers, parents, coaches, friends, brothers and sisters, and the list goes on. It impacts your school work, your sport, your after-school activities, and well, everything. It is important to understand these expectations and develop your own expectations to create balance, and empower yourself to cope with the pressure and the stress - what you are really supposed to do and how you are really supposed to feel. Learn why it’s important to have your own expectations and how to navigate the challenges of other’s expectations and feel good about it.

E. Career Possibilities: How Do I Get There From Here?Presented by a Panel of Dynamic Women in Unique Careers, moderated by Ann Morrison, Larkspur City CouncilHear from a dynamic panel of remarkable women who will share their experiences in a range of careers. Learn what these jobs are really like and how to get started in these fields or the one of your choice. This is an opportunity to discuss the strengths of women in the workplace, what advantages they bring, and challenges they face. Each woman will offer her advice and insights on why now is best time for young women to soar in their careers! Our panelists include a firefighter, real estate developer, police chief, and consumer technology and marketing expert.

F. Fight Back: Preventing Sexual Assault with Self DefenseThis is an interactive workshop to practice assertiveness with self-defense training and an open discussion about sexual assault prevention and empowerment for teens as well as sexual exploitation awareness.

Session III

A. Expect Respect: A Conversation on Boundaries & ConsentPresented by Zephira Derbilch-Milea of Shalom Bayit Everyone deserves healthy relationships! This workshop will offer a safe space to discuss the differences between consent and true consent, how to check-in with ourselves, and how to identify our own boundaries of what we do or do not want in relationships and friendships. Included in the workshop will be tips and tools for asking for and giving true consent and how to set healthy boundaries.

B. Sex-Planations for Grades 8-10Presented by Huckleberry Youth Programs Join us for this session about how you can stay safe and strong in your relationships. We’ll talk about making choices, keeping boundaries, safer sex, like birth control and condoms, and making sure our relationships are ones that make us feel good about ourselves. A safe space to ask questions to get the information that will help you feel confident and prepared in your choices.

C. Sex-Planations for Grades 10-12Presented by Planned Parenthood Northern California Each person needs to decide for herself what choices are right for her around sex. This workshop will help you explore your hopes, expectations, and limits; learn about the many ways to express intimacy, and feel confident in the choices you make about your own sexuality. Ask the questions you’ve been dying to ask about sexuality, safer sex, and relationships, in a fun and confidential space.

FULL D. A Girl’s Guide to Advocacy and Making a Difference in Your CommunityPresented by the YWCA This workshop will teach the nuts and bolts of effective advocacy. If there is something you want of change or a story you want to tell, we’ll share some of the basic tools to get you started. We’ll cover a range of community organizing and advocacy tactics from picking your issue to using your voice to rallying your community to meeting with elected officials. This workshop is interactive and relies on real-world relevant examples for teens and young adults to start getting involved in shaping our communities.

FULL E. Foster Relationships that Foster You Too!Presented by Charis Denison of Pranja Consulting & Marin Youth See Description Above. This workshop will be a repeat of the Session II Workshop of the same name.

FULL F. Is There An App for That?Presented by Claire Comins of TinkerTech So you’ve got an idea for an app? Great! Come and map it out in this fun workshop. You’ll brainstorm and wire-frame (sketch out) your best idea for an app. Learn more about computer coding and how easy it is to get involved in tech workshops and participate in hackathons! Top app ideas can earn the chance to attend the hackathon at Google Developers Launchpad for free.